The Essential Guide to Bars, Pubs, Clubs, Hotels and Restaurants in Leeds.

Clubbing & Nightlife in Leeds

Since the heady days of the dance music explosion of the early nineties, Leeds has gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the UK's favourite clubbing destinations. Often described as the leading clubbing city outside of London, Leeds is best known as the home of pioneering club nights Back to Basics and Speedqueen, and is one of the country's most popular destinations for Stag and Hen Weekends.

Leeds is definitely the north's best party city and easily rivals the likes of Newcastle or Manchester. With a thriving student population you're never short of bars, pubs and clubs to grab a drink with friends or boogie the night away, keeping insomniacs happy well into Sunday mornings! For a great party atmosphere check out Mission, which is one of the best house clubs in the country and is tucked underneath six disused railway arches. On Lower Briggate, Fibre isn't to be missed, a gay bar so hip that gay men are forced to fight with straight men and women alike to get through the door! It also has received countless awards, including the Best Bar None award several times. Other hidden gems for lovers of serious clubbing in Leeds are the Mint Club, Space, and Wire on Call Lane.Nicola Adams - Headingley, 03/12/12

If you are looking to find different and exciting things to do on a night out in Leeds, there is a fantastic selection of comedy clubs and dedicated comedy nights all over the city. Depending where you sit, and as long as you're not too shy or easily offended, a comedy night can be a great evening out. Highlight, now part of the brand new Maluko Tiki/Beach bar concept in Leeds city centre, on the corner of Great George Street and Albion Street, is an ideal big night out venue for stand up comedy lovers with Foster's Comedy Live shows on every Friday and Saturday night from 7pm. Once the show has finished, the venue transforms into a super club experience, boasting four different rooms with a 'round the world' theme. Another great comedy venue is the HiFi Club, which holds regular 'Saturday Comedy Sessions'. There are usually three comedians on each night, although seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Various bars and pubs in Leeds also host their own comedy nights, such as Tiger Tiger, The Adelphi, The Original Oak, and Verve on Merrion Street.Jon Richardson - Huddersfield, 01/11/12

I've been a student at Leeds University for two years now and found that one of the best club nights in Leeds is at the Mint Club. It's called Bigger Than Barry, and is held every Tuesday during term time. DJ Mag ranked the Mint Club as one of the best small clubs in the world due to its state-of-the-art lighting and sound system, and it's without a doubt the place to go in Leeds to hear top quality DJs playing the latest house, dubstep and electro music. Outside of the Student Union, other top nights out in Leeds for students and freshers are, Propaganda (an indie night every Saturday at the O2 Academy), Mezz (a club with massive weekly events, and two of the biggest student nights in Leeds, playing RnB, Hip Hop, Funk and student anthems throughout), and Wire (Leeds' finest Indie, Rock, DnB, Alternative Dance & Electronic music venue).Jill Michaels - Otley, 26/09/12

I'd say that the best clubbing nights at night clubs in Leeds are Wednesday night's MoveOnUp at the HiFi Club, alongside their Friday night FunkSoulNation and Sunday night's Sunday Joint (which hosts live Soul, Latin, Hip Hop, Funk and Salsa bands every week). There's also Mission nightclub for the serious and more hardcore clubbers, which is open until the early hours. Their big club nights are Hed Kandi, KissDaFunk and Back2Space, usually on Saturday nights once a month. Another good venue is the newly refurbished Mint Club, playing host to house, techno and electro music. They also hosts residencies from Cocoon and Kompakt. Then there's Stinky's Peephouse for house music lovers, with club nights such as Blowout, RudeNot2 and the legendary Back to Basics. Finally, let's not forget about The Space, a nightclub popular with students during the week and home to Twisted on Friday nights, and Funky Dory on Sunday nights. Oh, and for the best real ale pubs in Leeds check out Mr Foley's Cask Ale House on the Headrow, the Adelphi on Hunslet Road, and The Brewery Tap pub near the train station.Danny Baker - Roundhay, Leeds, 23/08/12

Leeds has arguably one of the best clubbing scenes in the country packed into a compact metropolis that defies even the most discriminating clubber not to find something to take their fancy. Whatever floats your musical boat you will find it in one of the dozens of nightclubs or hundreds of bars in the city centre. Oceana is probably Leeds' largest nightclub and offers seven unique themed rooms, including five bars and two distinct nightclubs, all under one roof. Similarly, Tiger Tiger offers several themed bars, a restaurant and a nightclub all in one place. Evolution in Kirkstall is in a similar vein, but the club is one large space as opposed to several rooms. Other notable nightclubs in Leeds include the Mint Club, Bed (formerly Gatecrasher), The Warehouse, The HiFi Club, Baracoa, Club Mission, and the O2 Academy. The beauty of clubbing in Leeds is that nobody seems to mind if you are getting down to funky soul one day, falling over to cheesy party tunes the next, then bouncing around to hard house the day after that. Whatever your idea of clubbing may be, you are sure to find somewhere in Leeds to do it and plenty of people to do it with!Dave Beer - Chapel Allerton, 18/08/12

Hi everyone, I'm organising a Leeds Hen weekend and wanted to know if there are any good shops in Leeds that sell nightlife dresses or nightlife clothes for women? Also, is Leeds a better place than Blackpool for a hen night? What are the night clubs like? We're looking for dance clubs for our hen party and a place to buy cheap hen sashes and accessories. All the usual Hen night stuff!Sarah Hyland - Brighton, 07/08/12

I am a big fan of Mook, as it's somewhat of a little known, out of the way venue. It never gets overly busy at the weekends, which is a good thing. The range of drinks and cocktails on offer is impressive especially with their 2-for-1 deals for students. The atmosphere is chilled out and funky, with a great mix of music and friendly staff. I would definitely recommend a visit the next time you're out in Leeds.Tom Elliott - Leeds, 20/07/12

I'm planning on coming down to Leeds on Friday from Newcastle for my birthday, and was wondering where are the best bars/clubs to go to on a Tuesday night which will be busy? Also, which are good pubs/clubs in the city centre that allow fancy dress? Thanks. xJoanne Weir - Newcastle, 18/07/12